Claudia Black

"She was regal and butch at the same time. It was quite a combination. We were running around, in possum fur bikinis, screaming and beating up stuntmen." -Claudia Black, on her role in Amazon High.

Claudia Black has made a name for herself portraying sexy, strong-willed TV characters in the science-fiction and fantasy realm. In addition to her four-year run as Officer Aeryn Sun on TV's Farscape, Claudia had a recurring role on TV's Stargate SG-1, as Vala Malduran.

SEX APPEAL

Standing at a nice 5'9", it's nice to watch Claudia Black fight aliens in a skimpy jumpsuit or just plain amaze us earthbound lugs with her sexy posturing. Oh, and she has an awesome flat-yet-toned stomach that we just want to feel and/or lick food off of.

Plus, Claudia has one of those sultry gazes that can freeze guys like a Taser set on "stun." In fact, we'd love to be incapacitated by her futuristic weaponry just so she could nurse us back to health.

SUCCESS

Depending on how you define fame, Claudia Black is either a mega-success or a mediocre star. For the geeks in the sci-fi and fantasy world, she has definitely reached supernova star status thanks to her roles in Stargate SG-1 (2005) and the Farscape TV series (1999-2003).

She also lends her vocal talents to video games, often as characters she has already portrayed on TV, as was the case with Farscape: The Game. Audiences might also recognize Claudia thanks to her roles in films like 2000's Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel, and 2002's Queen of the Damned, starring Aaliyah.

Yet the majority of Claudia's "real" acting credits have taken place away from the American lens. Not to mention that she's taken on more supporting roles rather than star turns. But one thing's for sure: Claudia Black is the leading lady when it comes to our erotic fantasies.

Claudia Black Biography

Claudia Black was born on October 11, 1972 (because she is very secretive about her personal life, her actual year of birth is still not officially certain), in Sydney, Australia. She has lived most of her adult life abroad, opting to reside in New Zealand and London, England, for extended periods of time.

As an accomplished stage actress, Claudia has starred in many roles with various stage productions, as well as with the Belvoir Street Theatre, a renowned Australian acting troupe. In 1990, Claudia's turn as Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice earned her a nomination in the Globe Shakespeare Competition; she made it to the finals.

claudia black commits seven deadly sins

The bulk of her early onscreen career took place in Australian television productions. Early appearances include bit parts in G.P. (1993), Police Rescue (1993) and the miniseries Seven Deadly Sins (1993). She achieved notoriety in Australia by the mid-1990s, thanks to roles in A Country Practice (1994) and City Life (1996).

claudia black in sci-fi and fantasy

In 1997, Claudia appeared as Cassandra in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and reprised this role on another episode the following year. Claudia took on another acting direction in 1998, portraying a hermaphrodite in the popular Aussie drama, Good Guys Bad Guys.

In 1999, she landed a role in the short-lived Amazon High, a series that was intended to be a combination of Hercules and Xena, and costarred Selma Blair.

claudia black in lords of everquest

Claudia's big break came around in 1999, when Jim Henson Productions tapped her for the role of tough officer Aeryn Sun on the sci-fi series, Farscape (also known as Far Horizon in Australia). The producers initially wanted an American actress for the role, but quickly realized that Claudia was the best choice for the part. The character made her famous to sci-fi fans the world over, garnering her a Saturn Award (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films) as Best Actress for her role in 2004's Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, in addition to four Saturn nominations.

Claudia also appeared on the cover of SFX magazine in 2001, as the No. 1 contender for the title of sexiest sci-fi babe.

Claudia also makes use of her talents, doing voice work for video games like Farscape: The Game (2002) and Lords of Everquest (2003).

claudia in pitch black

American audiences finally got to see what the buzz was about when Claudia appeared in the Vin Diesel vehicle, Pitch Black (2000) and Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (2002), Aaliyah's final role.

claudia black in stargate

Claudia Black returned to her TV roots in 2005, with a recurring role on Stargate SG-1. She is keeping busy in 2005, with a role in Naked in London and a vocal gig in the video game God of War (as Artemis).

Claudia has been married since 2004, and enjoys rollerblading, watching bad TV and practicing yoga in her spare time.